Daily Bible Reflection

MAY 18
1 SAMUEL 22:1–23:29
JOHN 10:1-21
PSALM 115:1-18 PROVERBS 15:18-19

WHAT IS YOUR TESTIMONY?

JOHN 9:1-41

"He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." (John 9:25)

JOHN chapter 9 narrates the healing of a man born blind by Jesus on a Sabbath day. His blindness was misunderstood as the result of his sin or that of his parents. But Jesus emphatically mentioned that it was intended to glorify God.

The restoration of sight to the man born blind sparked several reactions. No one born blind has ever received sight. Those who knew him were confused. The Pharisees tried to interrogate the man to determine the source of his healing. His parents were also invited to bear witness to whether he was actually born blind and how he got his healing. They confessed that the man was their son, but they knew not how he had received his healing.

When the Pharisees further probed and tried to force him to declare Jesus a sinner, instead of engaging in debates about the Law, the man who had received his sight focused entirely on the concert transformation he had received. That transformation was his testimony: "One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." This was his evidence. And this evidence proved that Jesus was the Messiah.

What is your transformative testimony? What can you say about your life? Like this man, can you say, "I was blind, but now I see"? Note that every man is born blind spiritually, and it takes only an encounter with Jesus to receive spiritual sight. Have you had an encounter with Jesus? Can you testify about your transformation? Let people know who you were before and who you are now. What is your testimony?
SHALOM.

MAY 17
1 SAMUEL 20:1—21:15
JOHN 9:1-41
PSALM 113:1—114:8 PROVERBS 15:15-17

AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD'S POWER

1 SAMUEL 19:1-24

"And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?" (1 Samuel 19:24)

According to William Cowper, God moves in mysterious ways, and when He does, wonders abound.
Saul was jealous of David's success and tried on several occasions to eliminate him. When the threats against David became obvious, David fled from Saul and came to Samuel at Naioth (living, dwelling) in Ramah (high or exhausted). When Saul heard that David was at Naioth in Ramah, he sent his messengers to take David.

Incidentally, when these messengers of Saul arrived to take David, they met the company of the prophets prophesying and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of the Lord came upon these messengers of Saul. They prophesied (v. 20). Saul sent the second group of messengers, and they too encountered the Spirit of the Lord and prophesied. The same encounter happened to the third group of messengers (v. 21).
Finally, Saul himself went and encountered the Spirit of the Lord dramatically. He stripped off his clothes, lay down naked all day and night, and prophesied before Samuel.

All of these happened because Samuel and the company of the prophets were dwelling in an exalted place, and Samuel was standing as appointed over the prophets, and there was an encounter that made the king lie naked all day and night. Imagine if Samuel were not standing and the priests were not on their duty post. Saul would have captured and killed David, terminating David's divine assignment and purpose.

Do we stand in the presence of God as appointed, so that His grace will disgrace the enemies of our lives? Many lives are lost because we fail to stand before God. Samuel stood, and an encounter ensued. You too can stand before God and replicate this same encounter in your life, your family, your ministry, and society. If the enemies of your soul must have an encounter with God and be disgraced, then you must choose to stand before the Lord. Don't sit like Eli, stand like Samuel, and God will save your David and disgrace your enemies.

Prayers:
O Lord, my God, help me to stand in the place of prayer like Samuel.

Let my enemies encounter your power.

Disgrace every individual who wants to destroy my life.
SHALOM

MAY 16
1 SAMUEL 18:4—19:24
JOHN 8:31-59
PSALM 112:1-10 PROVERBS 15:12-14

WHOSE SON ARE YOU?

1 SAMUEL 17:55-58

Everyone has a father. Women do not just conceive on their own; a man must be responsible for that pregnancy, whether known or unknown. Every child exhibits traits and characteristics from their parents. That is why when a child acts unusually, people want to inquire about his or her parents or family background.

This was exactly what happened to David. When Saul saw David go forth against the Philistines, he asked Abner, "Whose son is David?" Saul was not unaware that Jesse was David's father. In chapter 16: 19, it was Saul who sent messengers to Jesse, the father of David, to send David to him. Saul knew that Jesse was David's father. Perhaps what prompted that question was David's bravery. He wasn't afraid of Goliath; he confronted Goliath, the Philistine warrior, and defeated him.

Nothing was known about Jesse's family in terms of men of war. He was not a valiant man nor a man of war. Although his sons were in the army, they were not reckoned as mighty men or men of valor; nothing is said about them. How come his son, David, could confront Goliath, a man who had fought several wars and a mighty man, and defeat him?
Seeing David defeat the Philistine giant, Saul asked again, "Whose son are you?"

It doesn't matter who your biological father is. What matters most is whether you are a son or daughter of the LORD who is a Man of War? (Exodus. 15:3). You may not have any fighting skills, military training, might, or prowess. But being a child of the one who is a Man of War makes you a warrior. And as a child of a warrior, every giant standing before you must go down, and every battle conquered because the LORD himself will fight for you. You must be a son or daughter of the LORD to win your battles. It is impossible to win any battle or conquer any giant when you are outside of the LORD. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name (John 1:12). Until you are a child of God, you cannot win. Don't allow the enemies of your soul to win the battle against you. Decide to be a child of God by surrendering to Him, and He will lead you through your battles.
The question is "Whose son or daughter are you?"
SHALOM

MAY 15
1 SAMUEL 17:1—18:4
JOHN 8:21-31
PSALM 111:1-10 PROVERBS 15:11

WHAT SAYEST THOU?

JOHN 8:1-11

While Jesus was teaching in the temple, the Scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who was caught in adultery and set her in the midst.
As experts in the law of Moses, the Scribes and the Pharisees presented evidence to Jesus from the law of Moses concerning the woman's sin and the prescribed judgment for it. They had the law of Moses as their authentic backup for whatever they did. The Scribes and the Pharisees mentioned to Jesus what Moses had recommended. However, they wanted to hear what Jesus could say. These people knew the law and the punishment. They could have dealt with the woman in accordance with the law. But they intentionally brought the woman before Jesus to hear what he was going to say so that they could trap him. All they wanted to hear was Jesus' response to the woman's offense. What sayest thou?

The woman stood in the midst of the people, ashamed. Her accusers had condemned her. Her fate was sealed, and her sentence was death: death by stoning. For the people were ready to stone her to death. All they were waiting for was, what sayest thou?

Jesus responded to the Scribe and the Pharisees that he who is without sin should be the first to cast the stone on her. Ironically, no one was without sin, so the woman was left alone.
Second, Jesus asked the woman, " Where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you? No man, she replied.

It was at this point that Jesus made his verdict. "Go and sin no more." The law of Moses condemned her. But because she was brought before Jesus, God's mercy overruled her condemnation. The mercy of God looked beyond her sins, her shame, and her struggles and spoke a word of freedom to her. She was set free from death.

Like this woman, your fate is sealed already; everything is against you. You feel like giving up on yourself. The shame, the struggles, and the sufferings are stirring at you. Your accusers are waiting to end your life. Don't give up. The grace and mercy of God are showing up for you. Jesus is turning everything that was against you to your favour. Life and healing are replacing your death sentence. His mercy is giving you back what you lost. Jesus is offering you another opportunity: "Go and sin no more." Don't let the weight of what you have done weigh you down. Hold on to God's Word and walk in the newness of life. "Go and sin no more."
SHALOM.